This study was intended to examine genetic relatedness among female squirrel monkeys in a natural population and the significance of relatedness on tendencies to engage in allomaternal behavior. Permission to obtain tissue/hair samples for genetic analysis was not obtained from the Peruvian government in time to complete this analysis. However, considerable progress was made in evaluating critical conditions leading to allomothering. Contrary to previous reports, allomothering does not occur until the infant is beginning to spend time away from the mother. Moreover, the time infants spend with another female does not diminish the time spent with the mother, but does reduce the extent to which the mother monitors the infant while it is not with her. Therefore, allomaternal care does not function to provide the mother with help carrying their extraordinarily large infants, but rather appears to serve a baby-sitting function once the infants begin to assume locomotor independence. *KEY*Mother-infant, Allomothering, Infant development